Reviewer's Choice

The Iowa State Fair covers the Midwest experience in general through Iowa's state fair, and
combines black and white photos with discussion of the Fair's experiences and animals. From
Big Wheel races to fair queen contests, horses and pigs to prize-winning produce, and Iowa's best
ear of corn, this is a lovely collection of winning images of Iowa's best party, and is highly
recommended for any interested in the state and its agricultural base.

The Language Studies Shelf

Signs and Wonders: Religious Rhetoric and the Preservation of Sign Language is recommended
for any collection strong in Deaf community issues, and focuses on the role of religion in the
development and history of the American Deaf community. It's a semi-scholarly treatment that
traces the frequent use of religious rhetoric by Deaf members to support sign language, and it
analyzes Gallaudet's use of religious references in his speeches and presentations, considers
different religious perspectives of the manualist and oralist trains of thought surrounding sign
language, and examines this rhetoric in churches and other places deaf people congregate. The
result is an intriguing survey packed with insights on sign language's underlying influences,
especially recommended for college-level readers.

The Autism Shelf

The Wonderful World of Work: A Workbook for Aperteens is recommended here for its
step-by-step examination of different aspects of employment which begin at Step One: why
would you even want a job? Each chapter considers a different aspect of employment that covers
all the basis, from what to put on a resume when you have no work experience to how to handle
job interviews. It's reviewed here so that parents and educators don't miss the invaluable
opportunity to use this guidebook as a starting point for helping Asperger teens enter the
workplace: it's a treasure trove linking Asperger syndrome habits and concerns with the wider
requirements of daily living.

Brenda Dater's PARENTING WITHOUT PANIC: A POCKET SUPPORT GROUP FOR
PARENTS OF CHILDREN AND TEENS ON THE AUTISM SPECTRUM (ASPERGER'S
SYNDROME) (9781849059411, $19.95) provides parents with exercises and advice that address
top concerns over Asperger's, and is based on her experience as a support group leader and parent
of a child on the spectrum. It covers everything for what to do immediately following diagnosis
to behaviors, holidays and friendships, homework, and how parents can raise a healthy
Asperger's child while looking after their own mental health needs. The result is a solid survey
filled with supportive information paired with recommendations parents can easily follow. Bill
Nason's THE AUTISM DISCUSSION PAGE: ON THE CORE CHALLENGES OF AUTISM
(9781849059947, $24.95) provides a fine survey of the overall core challenges associated with
autism, and synthesizes information into a series of approaches for supporting children with these
conditions. It's based on posts from an online community page, is arranged by subject for quick
reference, and provides a basic survey of common coping methods and autism experiences in the
world. Bill Nason's THE AUTISM DISCUSSION PAGE: ON ANXIETY, BEHAVIOR,
SCHOOL, AND PARENTING STRATEGIES: A TOOLBOX FOR HELPING CHILDREN
WITH AUTISM FEEL SAFE, ACCEPTED, AND COMPETENT (97817849059954, $24.95)
provides a fine survey of some key areas of stress in handling and raising autistic children, and is
directed to parents who want to hone techniques that help their children feel safe and accepted.
Teaching and mentoring techniques for such children offer daily living strategies that work,
based on posts from the online community page and arranged by subject for easy reference. From
promoting independence and understanding the links between emotion and learning to addressing
self-injurious behaviors and destructive patterns, this provides parents with a wealth of ideas for
improving an autistic children's life and approach to it.

The Education Shelf

Proven Programs in Education: Science, Technology & Mathematics (STEM) adds to the 'Proven
Programs in Education' series, providing edited, updated selections of top articles - here covering
the STEM process. From best practices which have been validated by research to an international
perspective unusual in an educational compilation, this offers a wealth of sources suitable for
STEM teachers and their classrooms; all backed by evidence-based practices, not theory. What's
not to like?

Doing the Right Thing for Children: Eight Qualities of Leadership is for educators who want to
absorb eight core leadership values and apply them to the education of young children, and it
uses stories of successful applications to challenge educators to become leaders in early
childhood education. It teaches the skills and habits of such leadership and shows how to use it in
either classroom or individual teaching pursuits, and it uses the author's years of coaching leaders
to discuss important connections between leaders and the education process as a whole. The
result is applied coaching at its best, and a 'must' for educators!

Creative Play the Steiner Waldorf Way: Expertise and Toy Projects for your 2-4-year-old
provides advice for parents on how to develop a child's creativity through creative play, showing
how to let a child develop according to the Steiner theory, which helps them evolve holistically.
Each chapter discusses a different piece of a child's development process, summarizing the
Steiner theory and how it connects to this process. Tips on how to make some 20 toys from
natural materials and how to incorporate them into a child's play makes for a fine survey highly
recommended for crafts and education collections alike, as well as gatherings for parents and
educators.

The Business Shelf

OWN YOUR FUTURE: HOW TO THINK LIKE AN ENTREPRENEUR AND THRIVE IN AN
UNPREDICTABLE ECONOMY is based on extensive research and interviews with hundreds of
serial entrepreneurs who have begun two or more successful companies, and offers a model all
business owners of any size enterprise can use: Act. Learn. Build. Repeat. While these may seem
like basic directions, they actually pinpoint the thinking processes of successful ventures, and
provide a logical understanding of the basic elements of successfully-applied business logic. Any
looking to incorporate the flexibility of creative thinking into an organizational structure will find
the ideals sound, the applications specific, and the techniques important for any entrepreneurial
venture.

Overfished Ocean Strategy: How Powering Up Innovation Can Help to Save a
Resource-Deprived World discusses how businesses need to make resource scarcity of prime
importance to survive long term. Managers are invited to eschew the throwaway mentality in
favor of longer-ranging consideration of resource allocation and management. Chapters show
how this new economy is focusing on reducing costs over spending, and display five basic
principles for innovating under such conditions. From finding value in discarded by-products to
changing habits for resource conservation, this packs in plenty of details key to both conservation
and better business practices.

The Needlecraft Shelf

Simple Shape Quilts uses four simple shapes to build innovative modern quilt designs, making
for a perfect pick for beginners new to quilting. Here are simple squares, rectangles, and more
that are designed for easy beginning success using little more than a standard home sewing
machine. The projects have a complicated, professional feel but are designed to be visually
attractive and appealing to beginning and advanced quilters alike. The result is a presentation
pairing patterns with attractive quilt designs that beginning to intermediate quilters will
relish.

Dana Bolyard's IMAGINE QUILTS: 11 PATTERNS FROM EVERYDAY INSPIRATIONS
(9781604684094, $22.99) comes from a popular quilt blogger who here offers keys to
innovations, providing designs for small wall hangings to full-sized bed quilts. Each is
accompanied by step-by-step directions and a focus on unique projects that use colors
successfully, help newcomers learn to apply traditional blocks in new ways, and contain fresh
variations and inspirations for techniques. With patterns accompanied by full-color quilt photos,
this is a top pick for beginning and advanced quilters alike. Myra Harder's NAP AND NOD: 12
ADORABLE BABY QUILTS (9781604683776, $24.99) provides instructions for some 12 baby
quilts from designer Myra Harder, who teaches basic techniques and how they apply to a baby
quilt. From applique and monogrammed lettering to creating artistic quilts that can be used for
baby or for a wall hanging, this provides a range of styles, techniques and fabrics quilters can use
to create lovely quilts for tots and babies alike.

The Social Issues Shelf

Hatred, Lies, and Violence in the World of Islam comes from one of the leading scholars in the
field of Muslim and Middle Eastern studies and here uses original documents - many in local
languages - to document the sources of lies and myths regarding Israel and its neighboring
nations. It considers how social and religious ideologies and myths spread, it examines political
changes and the Islam world, and it considers the evolution and perpetuation of lies and violence
in Islam nations. The result is a solid scholarly analysis that belongs in the collections of any
college concerned with Middle Eastern or Islamic affairs.

The Cookbook Shelf

MEXICAN FLAVORS: CONTEMPORARY RECIPES FROM CAMP SAN MIGUEL provides
an inspirational survey from Hugh Carpenter's cooking school located in an artistic mountain
community north of Mexico City, and includes recipes form an American's perspective for
Americans who would re-create them at home. Ingredients are thus readily available at any
supermarket and feature innovations on classic Mexican cuisine, form a Banana Salsa with Four
Variations to Mexican Seafood Risotto and a Kahlua Chocolate Cake with Strawberry Coulis.
Pack these innovations with mouth-watering images and you have a fine guide for any interested
in innovative Mexican fare.

Provence Food and Wine: The Art of Living packs in nearly fifty recipes to accompany photos of
the French Provencal countryside, discussing its wines and regional dishes and serving as an
introduction to the region's culinary history and traditions. Consider this a mouth-watering
pairing of images, cookbook, and wine consideration that offers travelers many resources for
visiting and discussions (accompanied by recipes) exploring Provence's cuisine. With its
wide-ranging investigations and applications, this is a fine guide for either foodies traveling to
France or at-home cooks just beginning to look at Provence dishes.

The Ginger & White Cookbook is a fine guide for any interested in good cooking, and presents
nearly a hundred recipes from its restaurant in its first cookbook pairing baked goods with main
courses. From a Coronation Chicken Sandwich originally created in Britain for Queen Elizabeth's
coronation in 1953 and consisting of shred chicken, apricot and ginger chutney, and yogurt to an
unusual Cauliflower Soup with Blue Cheese and Chutney, this is packed with unusual flavors
and pairings that work well together, and is a recommendation for any cookbook collection.

The Archaeology Shelf

The Great Archaeologists considers the history of archaeology and how scientists date relics and
discover lost civilizations from evidence, and blends two centuries of research and excavation
from around the world into a discussion of objects of the past. Chapters include personal
accounts, photos and original drawings which supplement field notes and images, and offer a
running history of the men and women explorers who created and contributed to the field of
archaeology, making this a pick for science and general-interest readers alike.

The Science Shelf

THE HUMAN AGE: THE WORLD SHAPED BY US provides a fine set of questions about how the
wilderness, animals, habitats and nature of the world have changed human biology. It comes at
the arrival of a new era, when mankind's impacts are moving from local and worldwide levels to
planetary and geologic scales, and it considers the extent of humankind's impact on nature and
the consequences of its actions. Here is the intersection of ecology, psychology and geology; all
wound up in a package packed with insights on mankind's evolutionary impact. Science and
philosophy readers will find it particularly accessible.

The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

WOOD SPRITES provides a new sequel to TINKER, and it's recommended that readers pursue
the first for a smooth transition before turning to this latest story. (Those who don't will surely
find themselves looking to TINKER for another fine read!) Here two gifted students, twins
Louise and Jillian, have always felt alone in their world. But they're nine when they discover they
have four siblings still in cryogenic storage at a fertility center - embryos slated to be destroyed.
When war erupts on Elfhome and riots begin in New York, the twins must hone their powers
over science and magic to save not just their world, but everything surrounding it. Solid action
and a blending of two universes are cemented by believable, engrossing protagonists in this
winning tale.

The Audiobook Shelf

Sandra Brown's THE SILKEN WEB (9781476927471, $25.00) is narrated by January LaVoy,
whose New York-based voice, stage and TV background meshes perfectly with the story of
family connections, romance, and a web of lies that threatens to destroy three individuals and
posits some dangerous choices to Kathleen, who must take either family or the love of her life.
With its powerful story and engrossing audio version, The Silken Web draws listeners into a web
of intrigue and love, and enjoys the best features of LaVoy's evocative, winning voice. It's audio
romance at its best. James Patterson's KISS THE GIRLS (9781619694132, $18.00) receives a
fine narration by Michael Kramer, who brings to life the involving saga of the second thriller in
the Alex Cross series. Familiarity with the first is highly recommended for a smooth segue to this
story, where a reporter investigating a series of murders is killed in Lo Angeles and in a
seemingly-unrelated mystery cross-country, a lovely medical intern vanishes. Alex Cross doesn't
know if he's investigating one murder or two clever killers following the same modus operandi in
this riveting murder mystery/thriller. Marcia Clark's THE COMPETITION (9781478927228,
$30.00) pairs January LaVoy's evocative voice, seasoned by nears on stage and TV, with the
thriller revolving around a L.A. district attorney Rachel Knight, who investigates a terrible high
school massacre that has students murdered and others identified as killers. Two women team up
to solve a case that just doesn't make sense in this engrossing thriller. Nicholas Sparks's THE
BEST OF ME (9781478900719, $20.00) is set in the spring of 1984, when two high school
sweethearts fall in love. In typical Romeo and Juliet style, they come from different sides of the
tracks and their love defies their small town roots. Predictably, events will tear them apart.
Unpredictably, twenty-five years later, events will bring them back together. Pair an evocative
story with Sean Pratt's experienced narrative voice and you have a drama that will be widely
appreciated by listeners looking for love stories. James Patterson and Michael White team up for
PRIVATE DOWN UNDER (9781619698499, $26.00) which tells of Craig Gisto and a team
attending a fancy launch party when a stabbed, gunshot Asian man staggers into the event. It's a
terrible murder in a wealthy community; but that's only the tip of the iceberg as non-stop action
narrated in Michael White's vivid voice creates an audio that's hard to stop listening to!

The Music Shelf

Fingerstyle Jazz Guitar Volume One comes with three CDs of instruction which support a fine
guide to fingerstyle guitar techniques, and comes from a musician who makes the style effortless.
Six jazz pieces are taught through CD and a book of musical notations in different tunings, with
each piece teaching a different fingerstyle technique. The result is a recommendation for any who
like jazz music and who seek a fingerstyle instructional pairing CD with book.

The Photography Shelf

William A. Ewing's LANDMARK: THE FIELDS OF LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPH
(9780500544334, $65.00) packs in images by a host of modern landscape photographers to
illustrate the expanding field of environmental landscape art. Photographer and curator Ewing
has here selected some 240 photos by over 100 photographers which represent an original
viewpoint about the environment. Ten themes lend to a coverage of different aspects of nature
and landscapes, with artistic and socially conscious photographic representations providing a
satisfying blend of art and environmental consciousness. The result is a powerful collection of
diverse approaches to landscape photography, highly recommended for photography and arts
holdings alike! Kristen Lubben edits MAGNUM CONTACT SHEETS (9780500544310,
$75.00), a weighty title that is being published in compact form. Lest one question the meaning
of 'compact', it should be noted that the original 2011 edition was 11 1/2" x 13 2/3", while this
compact edition is 9 3/4" x 11 3/4". The focus is on how Magnum photographers capture and edit
their shots, with discussions supplemented by some 139 contact sheets representing the work of
nearly seventy photographers. From press cards and notebooks to publications, these images are
accompanied by texts by the photographers or their expert representatives, and represent some of
the best images and works of modern times.

Kay W. Eskridge's SULTRY, SWEET, OR SASSY: LIGHTING AND POSING FOR
BOUDOIR PHOTOGRAPHY (9781608957217, $27.95) shows how to celebrate sensuality and
how to capture it on film, and covers both studio posing and work in a client's home. From
assessing a client's figure and how it can create thrilling results to using better lighting and
understanding the basics of style, this covers everything from silhouettes to wraparound lighting
and gives all the basics of arranging a studio shot for maximum exposure. Glenn Rand's and Tim
Meyer's SHAPING LIGHT: USE LIGHT MODIFIERS TO CREATE PROFESSIONAL
STUDIO AND LOCATION PHOTOGRAPHS (9781608957057, $27.95) deserves ongoing
recommendation as a fine blend of light physics and photographic application, and teaches all the
basics of tools and techniques photographers can use to shape light and create exceptional results.
From light ratios and refinement tools to working with softboxes, umbrellas, and under different
lighting conditions, this is a fine basic coverage. Billy Pegram's LIGHT A MODEL: STUDIO
AND LOCATION LIGHTING FOR FASHION PHOTOGRAPHY (9781608957095, $27.95)
comes from a veteran fashion shooter who reveals many of his tips and techniques for fashion
shoots. From modifying light and using its qualities for added results to blending lighting with a
commercial or artistic purpose in mind, this provides an excellent survey for any would-be
fashion modeler.

The Travel Shelf

Kerry Christiani's MALLORCA TRAVEL GUIDE (9781742207506, $21.99) is packed with
recommendations for journeying around Mallorca, and is especially recommended for
independent travelers looking to make the most of outdoor activities and tours outside the beaten
path. From wildlife to travel with children, chapters cover where to stay and what to eat and do,
include small maps and color-coded sidebars of special regional recommendations, and discuss
what is worth seeing. The result is a top pick for any independent traveler planning a journey to
Mallorca. Sarah Baxter's THE BEST PLACE TO BE TODAY: 365 Things to Do and the Perfect
Day to Do Them (9781743601655, $19.99) offers a year's worth of daily adventures for those
who want to travel on an experience basis. These inspirations offer the opportunity for advance
planning and cover everything from festivals and sporting events to natural and seasonal
phenomena, and they come with eye-catching color photos throughout. At-a-glance information
covers the event, country, 'why now', dates or approximate months, and where the event takes
place. Most travel books cover a country and include such events along the way; but for those
who would plan a trip based on the event itself, this approach can't be beat; especially since it
offers the opportunity for long-range planning.

Our World Tour: A Photographic Journey Around the Earth comes from a photographer and tells
of the journey he undertook when camera manufacturer Sigma sent him on a year-long
assignment to photograph the most beautiful places on earth. He spent some 50 weeks visiting
some 77 cities, 48 countries, and 6 continents, and his photos - over three hundred of them - pack
a fine account pairing global sights with a travel diary and notes on the photo process. While Our
World Tour would seem a pick for travel collections, the addition of many photographic insights
makes for an exceptional presentation highly recommended for any involved in photography or
travel.

The Writing/Publishing Shelf

The 2015 Writer's Market appears in its 94th annual updated edition - and in case you wondered
why can update would be needed, be advised that each edition represents the many changes of
policy, editorial needs, and contacts that represent a changing, dynamic writer's market. The
focus here is not just on getting published, but getting paid for one's writing. New editorial
material covers the changing business of writing and promotions, from pitching an idea to agents
and editors and building readers to obtaining freelance writing work through social media. The
pay rate chart has been updated, there are lists of professional writing groups and sample query
letters, and everything has been updated to reflect the latest information, making this a winning
guide for any who want to make a living by writing.

The Literary Studies Shelf

REBEL SOULS: WALT WHITMAN AND AMERICA'S FIRST BOHEMIANS fills a gap in the
literature about Whitman's connection to New York City's Pfaff's Saloon, a basement bar which
contributed vastly to his growth as a notable poet. From how his 'circle of Bohemians' developed
from this root to how the bar fostered an atmosphere of growth and change, this documents a key
social elements in what was to become a literary revolution, and finally places one of Whitman's
key influences in proper perspective. No collection covering Whitman's life and development
would be complete without this coverage.

The Quotable Stoic - A Book of Original Aphorisms provides a concise collection of quotes that
represent 'truth condensed into a few words that express much'. Early aphorisms were
inscriptions in verse carved into tombstones and more; but they evolved over the centuries into
witty, satirical observations of life. Mark Twain excelled in them, as one modern example - and
this book organizes a range of aphorisms from over the years into categories, giving them new
life and fun. From chapters on manners and attitudes, to wealth and vanity, these are fine literary
pieces that deserve a place in literature and general-interest holdings alike.

The Christian Studies Shelf

Orbis Books
Box 302, Maryknoll NY 10545-0302
www.orbisbooks.com

Terrence J. Rynne's JESUS CHRIST PEACEMAKER (9781626980976, $25.00) considers the
nonviolence of Jesus and its teachings to church and world alike, and uses the Gospels to
consider the evolving image of Jesus as Peacemaker. More than an assessment of the morals
involved, this considers how God calls people to a life of nonviolence and peace, how Jesus
symbolized these beliefs and laid the foundation for nonviolent responses to a violent world, and
why politics and Christianity meet when discussing Jesus's real purposes. The result is a powerful
survey highly recommended for any Christian or social issues collection. Veronica Mary Rolf's
JULIAN'S GOSPEL: ILLUMINATING THE LIFE & REVELATIONS OF JULIAN OF
NORWICH (9781626980945, $30.00) provides a fine biography reconstructing the life of Julian
of Norwich, a 14th-century mystic, and blends history, theology and cultural insights to portray a
Julian who spoke not only to peoples of his times, but whose words continue to offer
inspirational and religious insight to modern Christians. Collections strong in women's issues and
Christian life and history will find this an absorbing study on many levels, combining fascinating
early Christian historical insights with a focus on their meaning for modern audiences. The result
is a survey highly recommended for any Christian collection strong in scholarly yet accessible
writings.

The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

The Darling Dahlias and the Silver Dollar Bush returns to the small town of Darling, Alabama in
the 1930s where the women of a garden club are facing the local bank's sudden closure in 1933.
Everything is tough; but hardest of all is a plan hatched by business leaders to print a new form
of temporary money to keep the town afloat: a plan that backfires when the first printing
vanishes. A host of events steeped in satisfying small town interrelationships and intrigue makes
for a lovely mystery.

The Sports Shelf

Reed Ferber & Shari Macdonald's RUNNING MECHANICS AND GAIT ANALYSIS
(9781450424394, $45.00) is dedicated to injury prevention and covers almost three hundred
peer-reviewed scientific manuscripts and clinical research related to gait and injury in athletes.
College-level readers interested in athletic biomechanics and assessing and preventing common
injuries will find this detailed analysis of running biomechanics directed to professionals working
with overuse injuries. A video library features some 33 clips and is available for additional
reference, while real-world clinical examples help health professionals and coaches alike apply
the latest information to their own work with runners. Charles M. Tipton edits HISTORY OF
EXERCISE PHYSIOLOGY (9780736083690, $119.00), a reference for exercise physiology
researchers and practitioners that compiles a comprehensive text gathering primary ideas and
work done in exercise physiology for hundreds of years. It integrates ideas of biological and
physiology research with the overall goals and objectives of exercise, focuses on significant
contributions, and pairs illustrations and photos with discussions that offer visual and written
approaches to the field. It packs in tables, charts, bibliographic references, and plenty of detail
and it's filled with important insights for any who want to better understand the technical
relationship between exercise and the body's functioning, making it a pick for sports and health
collections alike.

The Fashion Shelf

Fashion Prints in the Age of Louis XIV: Interpreting the Art of Elegance is recommended for
college-level arts collections strong in fashion history, and examines the attire of men and
women in Paris between 1678 and 1710: an era replete with high fashion examples. Usually such
prints are presented for their visual impact and aren't accompanied by in-depth history or critical
review: not so here, in a book which blends art history, costume history, French culture, and
more to explore what these prints represent about 17th century fashion culture. Over a hundred
illustrations accompany one of the most in-depth coverages in print, offering a pairing of colorful
pictures and fashion observations key to any arts history holding.

The Metaphysical Studies Shelf

Timothy Leary: The Harvard Years offers a new collection of Leary's research from 1960 to
1965; a period of time when LSD could be legally researched. It collects rare articles form
Leary's days as a Harvard professor of psychology, includes writings from the Harvard psilocybin
Project and other experiments, and represent the heyday of early psychedelic researchers and
their approaches to the spiritual, religious and therapeutic applications of LSD. The result is a
fine collection that publishes not only his works of the times, but a selection of controversial
articles published after his dismissal from Harvard, making for a powerful gathering of
influential pieces recommended for any studying Leary's works.

Bridget Benson's WE WALK BESIDE YOU ALWAYS: COMFORTING MESSAGES FROM
YOUR LOVED ONES IN THE AFTERLIFE (9780738737492, $14.99) comes from an Irish
medium who here shares true stories of the afterlife and spirit connections, and use her own
experiences and those of her clients to consider a wide range of afterlife possibilities, from those
of children and animals to experiences of those who have taken their own lives. With its haunting
discussions of connections after death, this is a survey new age readers will find specific and
thought-provoking. Alexandra Chauran's CLAIRVOYANCE FOR BEGINNERS: EASY
TECHNIQUES TO ENHANCE YOUR PSYCHIC VISION (9780738739151, $13.99) covers the
steps needed to move from clairvoyant beginner to expert, and provides an instructional that
shows how to get started and how to enhance clairvoyance with eyes open or closed. From
meditation and conscious dreaming to psychometry, omens, visions and more, this includes
symbol dictionary and discussion of the ethics involved in clairvoyance even as it reviews the
basics for developing one's talents.

The Pets/Wildlife Shelf

MY DOG'S JOURNAL: PUPPY MILESTONES... TRAINING TACTICS... DOGGY IQ AND
MORE includes UK illustrator Gemma Correll's fun drawings and provides an activity album
that will serve as a personal record of one's dog. It blends the journal format with a training
manual and scrapbook, includes advice on how to keep a dog healthy, and adds activities ranging
from dog games and makeovers to video ideas to capture his fun moments. Add blank pages for a
dog's photos and you have a fun, appealing collection.

The Little Book of Corgi Charm: Words of Cheer from the World's Smiliest Dog gathers fifty
corgi dog photos and pairs them with positive sayings and fun observations representing the
'corgi philosophy'. It's intended as part inspirational gift book and part celebration of the corgi
breed, and will make a fun gift for any corgi owner; especially those who like engaging animal
pictures.

The Biography Shelf

Two fine explorations of American history are provided in these paperback reprints of two
classics by Joseph P. Lash, originally published in the early 1970s: ELEANOR AND
FRANKLIN (9780393349757, $17.95 print / $9.99 Kindle) and ELEANOR: THE YEARS
ALONE (9780393349764, $15.95 print / $9.99 Kindle). The author encountered Eleanor
Roosevelt when he was a student and political activist: from their encounter sprung an
association that lasted for decades as a professional friendship. His two discussions uses letters
and papers in the presidential library in New York to follow Eleanor's life; from her beginning as
an orphan and the evolution of a relationship with Franklin to her transition to a public role and
political figure and, finally, her years after Franklin's death. While the volumes stand powerfully
on their own, they are especially valuable works when considered as a set for either biography or
American history collections.

The 2015 Calendar Shelf

AQS 2015 Wall Calendar pairs a vivid monthly picture of an outstanding quilt production with
the usual wall calendar format replete with fill-in squares for easy dates and inspirational images,
and is a pick for any quilter who wants a new inspiration per month. These thirteen quilts are
award winners from the annual American Quilter's Society quiltweek contest in Kentucky, so
they are exceptional representations of a quilter's advanced achievements.